Olson 1to1 Named Leader In Loyalty

When we set out a handful of years ago, our goal was to create something in the loyalty space that hadn’t been done before. Of course every startup says the same, and we operate in a crowded space.

But lately it feels like we’re separating from the pack.

This week we were honored to be recognized as a leader in customer loyalty solutions for large organizations by independent research company Forrester in their report “The Forrester Wave™: Customer Loyalty Solutions For Large Organizations, Q1 2016.” Of the dozens of companies surveyed for inclusion in this report, only eight were selected. And of those eight finalists, we were named one of the leaders.

Simply put, we’re honored. And we’re proud – proud of our team and this great recognition of the hard work they’ve put in with and for our clients. Proud of the industry-leading clients and partners who push us every day to do great work.

And while we like to celebrate successes along the way, being named a leader isn’t about saying “job well done.” For us, being named a leader is validation that what we set out to do is being recognized by our industry. It reaffirms that the partnerships we are building with our clients are meaningful. It helps confirm our strategic direction and further excites us about what the future holds.

And how have we done it? By building an agency and capabilities that address the new realities that matter to consumers and enabling experiences that grow brands. By a constant focus and investment in our stellar technology platform, Tally®. Through deep strategic expertise and analytics, compelling creative, and world-class client service. As one client stated in the Forrester report, “something they bring to the table that I’ve never had with another partner is a heartfelt commitment to our success.”

We set out to be different – to be ambassadors of our clients’ brands and to help grow their businesses. And as the youngest company named in the report, it’s easy to say that we’re just getting started.

Forrester recently noted that a brand today needs to become “a loyalty company, not a company with a loyalty program .”1 Realizing this vision has spurred a massive blurring of lines between traditional loyalty marketing and CRM, branding, experience management, operations, IT and communications.

As part of the broader ICF Olson, we are uniquely positioned to service our clients across the full spectrum of marketing’s new realities. We create loyalty, not just loyalty programs. We see customers as individuals, not just transactions. We believe in the power of the brand experience, not just the brand’s message.

In the report, Forrester stated that “leaders in this space will push client loyalty strategies to the next level.” We’ve done just that. We’re young, we’re curious, we’re consumers first and marketers second. We think like people and the industry needs that. We’re out to make 2016 remarkable!